


Bleeding Gold

by Wandering_Spirits



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Blood and Gore, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Multi, Murder, Sexual Tension, Violence, You Have Been Warned, he gonna seduce her, lots of mentions, mainly oc with xayah and rakan, not to mention the other characters are pretty brutal too, of some characters listed, sexual content won't be until later, this is jhin we are talking about, this is non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:34:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21911506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wandering_Spirits/pseuds/Wandering_Spirits
Summary: "I don't know if you noticed, but I tend to be a magnet for loads of things; mainly the bad kind."Runeterra holds many secrets. Allura hoped that Ionia would help hide her own. However there are eyes everywhere, some closer than she wants, and they are waiting to pull the trigger. Her past will confront her while the future takes a terrifying turn. Friendships will be tested, her sanity upturned and a power will awaken. Can she survive like before, or will she finally succumb to her mistakes?
Relationships: Khada Jhin/Original Character(s), Rakan/Xayah (League of Legends)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 38





	1. Travel

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah, I know I haven'y updated Gravity. I am kinda stuck on it. In the mean time have Bleeding Gold! The chapters are shorter, but well-written. Edit: I do not know why the formatting is like this. I will try and fix it.

Allura knew that other worlds existed. Her mentor had told her as such when she began to study magic under her. She would talk about worlds that were abundant with magic, unlike their own world which was slowly dying. The young student just never thought she would have the chance to visit one. Now that she has had a taste of adventure our heroine has to make a decision. Lately her dreams have been filled with chaos, a voice calling out to her, and the power deep inside her growing; becoming hard to control. Will she answer the call of light, or succumb to the temptation of a darker path? 

  
XxX

"Come on Xayah! We haven't had a chance to relax in awhile, and I wanna show our recruit  here the festival!"

The raven Vastaya merely arched an eyebrow at her golden lover whom which was giving her  his best smile. Allura stood between them, as Rakan had clasped his hands on her shoulders to prevent her escape, looking a little awkward, but also giving Xayah a smile of her own. Finally  their leader caved, dropping her closed stance to roll her eyes. "Honestly you two....," she sighed in exasperation. "Fine. We can go to the Blossom Festival, BUT we will stick together.  Last thing we need is for someone to recognize us while we are separated."

  
  


Rakan let out a 'whoop!', letting go of Allura in favor of jumping in the air. This only had Xayah  shaking her head even more as the human of the group lightly laughed at the antics. It wasn't  always like this. When they had found her after she had phased to Ionia, unconscious with  burns from the overuse of magic, Xayah was very cold, distant and distrustful. Rakan attempted to be positive despite the fact that he did not trust her either. She did not blame them, she was a  human, they were Vastayan, and she knew that there were tensions between the races. The tension started to fade though as her wounds healed pretty quickly, and she was able to help  them with their missions. Perhaps it was her willingness to help or her shared disgust of how the Vastayans were treated, but Rakan started to treat her like one of their own; even referring to  her in an endearing term. At least, that is what he told her. It wasn't until she helped them fight off bandits instead of running did Xayah finally started calling her it as well.

  
  


"Miel" is what they referred to her as. When she inquired what it meant; they gave a vague understanding that it was a saying generally used by older Vastaya to younger Vastaya. When she asked if that is what they called each other they laughed, and said that 'mieli' and 'miela' synonymous to one another with the difference being masculine and feminine tone. "Basically its us calling one another sweetheart," Rakan had said, then ruffled her hair. "Miel is just a general term given from….a teacher to a student." She didn't question them after that. There was no denying she smiled brightly for the rest of that day.

  
  


"So this Blossom Festival...I have heard of it before, but what is it?"  Rakan stopped his little dance to grab her shoulders once again, shaking her with barely  concealed excitement. "What is it?! IT is the time of year when every artisan, performer and  enthusiast of the arts can be themselves! Gosh, miel, there are so many booths to explore, lots  of street performances, some small parades! FOOD!" His blue eyes practically sparkled at the  idea.

  
  


"Really, Rakan? You are more excited about the food? I thought you would have been  jumping at the chance to perform again." Xayah teased, golden eyes glinting with love. Allura  giggled at the face he made. "Well, of course there is that. OH!" He tilted his head toward her. "They encourage civilians to perform at a small talent show. Lots of scouts look for new talent in  theater groups. Then there is a contest where the winners can get prizes."

"Yeah?" Allura tilted her head, not quite getting it at first.

"Yeah, like singing and dancing."

Her cheeks suddenly lit up, shaking her head quickly. "N-No! You know how long it took for me  to even just dance with you both, let alone sing, and you want me to perform in front of  strangers?!" The thought alone had her stomach in knots. The male bird's ears drooped. "Not  even if it was with me?" Giving her his best puppy eyes. Allura looked unsure, green eyes  shifting to Xayah's in hopes she would step in. The older woman just smirked; not saying  anything as her lover took their friend's hands. "Come on, miel, I will be right next to you, and we can do that dance I showed you! It will be fun. We don't have to win anything."

"Though it would be cool if you did," Xayah spoke up. It was Allura's turn to roll her eyes a little  bit. "What? The revolution needs funding!" Between golden and blue eyes staring straight into  her soul she finally caved. "Alright fine! Stop giving me those looks!" She huffed, snatching  her hands back. Both birds looked awfully proud of themselves at her 'defeat'. "Awesome! Come  on we can practice on the way there!"

  
  


So began the journey to the Blossom Festival. It would be about a two day journey for the three  of them, Xayah had said. The festival itself lasted for about a week so every person could attend  and enjoy the festivities. Rakan prattled on about all the vendors, the mixing of cultures and how  every night they light fireworks. Despite her nerves eating at her, Allura asked tons of questions;  mainly about the talent shows and possibly seeing if she could get new footwear. Xayah took  the moment to look at the holes in the leather, humming thoughtfully. "Let's see how much it is  compared to getting them repaired, yeah?"

She shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Ah, wonder what that must be like," Rakan chimed in; both women looking at him. "Having soft soles on your feet, I mean."

"Not all of us can have the luxury of scaly feet, bird brain."

"Hey!" He sniffed at the insult. "My legs are fabulously soft!"

That had both women laughing for a good minute. They would stop early for the night, Rakan grabbing Allura so that they could practice a dance that reminded her quite a bit about jazz. After they exhausted their bodies, each wearing a smile and complementing one another, Allura bit her bottom lip. Rakan's ears perked up as he knew it normally he meant she had something on her mind. "Do...Do you really think I have a good singing voice?"

  
  


"Of course! I think you have a beautiful voice, not as great as Xayah though." He gave the  raven a love struck smile as she cooked their food. "She has the voice of an angel." Under the hood those golden orbs rolled, but the smile didn't escape their eyes. Allura grinned and 'awed' at  them, laughing as a stick was tossed at her. "Why'd you ask?" He brought the conversation  back on topic. "Just...I don't know, our dance gave me some confidence I guess? I want to try  and perform solo afterwards?"  Both Vastaya were now looking at her with faces a mix of shock and pride. "Well, I don't see why not! Unless you want to skip the dancing and I can do my flute? What song do you want to sing?"

"I am not sure. The songs I know are not going to be the songs these people will...."

"True," Xayah hummed. "But they will get the meaning."

"Why don't you do your magic thing and sing the first song that comes into your head?" Rakan  suggested, already taking out his flute. Her magic thing, as he liked to refer to it as, was the  ability to conjure up spirits who innately sang with her. The first time it happened was when she  was drying her clothes one sunny day, and began to dance and sing. Xayah had been watching from the edge of the forest, and claimed that as she got lost in her song she began to glow; that was when a spirit or two began to dance with her. Allura had known that her abilities stemmed from the fact she was an empath. It was why she was a natural healer. Yet she had never known that she could communicate with the spirits the way she had. Rakan had said she was a  like a conductor for spirits, they flocked to her due to the hope she radiated when she sang.

"You know I can only do that when I'm really into the moment," Allura glared at him. He merely  shrugged back. "Sing anyway."


	2. Festivals

The trio would soon arrive in town. Rakan hadn't been joking when he said the festival caught  lots of attention. The closer they got to the town, the more crowded the street got and the more Xayah became closed off. Allura knew it was due to the large amount of humans, and the threat of the authorities recognizing the duo. They were rebels after all. It wasn't until they entered the town and saw how many Vastayans there were, and how much the limited guardsmen were drinking, that all three of them relaxed some more. Allura was immediately entranced by the colors of the lanterns, all the flowers and how many performers there were. There were puppet shows, dancers performing small plays; it was just like being back home.

"Holy crap, you guys were not kidding. This place is packed! Are we even going to be able to  buy anything, let alone see anything?" A gentle hand pat her back reassuringly. "Don't worry, miel. We will stay for a few days. That way we have a chance to see everything." Rakan and  Allura shot Xayah surprised looks. She looked at them in return. "What? It's fairly pretty here  and I see a few Vastaya that look like they could rally to our cause." Rakan rolled his eyes,  giving a breathy laugh. "Of course you see a small vacation as a chance for recruitment. As long  as we all enjoy the festival, yeah?" He shouldered a path for them before Xayah could get a  reply in. Allura wondered if they had a disagreement this morning.

After wandering the street for awhile they turned a bend where it was still busy, but not bustling with performers. She realized that they must have the town set up a certain way for the festival. It made sense, she would think whilst gazing a glass figurine, that having street performers dancing around the artist alley would be a disaster waiting to happen. Hazel-green eyes roamed over the table of delicate glass sculptures, admiring all the colors and designs, eventually stopping at a large piece. Tilting her head she asked the vendor if she may carefully hold it to which the Vastayan woman nodded, going back to conversing with Xayah and Rakan in their native tongue. They appeared to know one another, which was nice. The glass sculpture appeared to be some kind of blooming flower that was made of pink and purple glass with the bottom resting on a green leaf of some sort. She noted each petal appeared to be individually crafted then added to the center. The artist in her was trying to figure out how they got the glass so delicate without it breaking. The biggest question she had, though, was what flower it was. It reminded her of a lily yet the petals were too round. Just as she parted her lips, turning slightly to ask the vendor, a shadow fell over her. "What a lovely glass lotus flower that is. By chance are you going to purchase it?"

"Ah!"

The presence of someone behind her caused her to flinch, the delicate glass in her hand  threatening to drop. Thankfully, the man who was behind had quick reflexes as he was able to  grasp her hands to make sure it did not shatter to the floor. Well it was more like his darker hands engulfed her pale ones.  Gasping Allura let out a nervous laugh, "You just saved my coin purse!"  His hands disappeared, and she set the glass down to look at her 'savior'. She was met with a  broad slender chest instead of a head that was dressed in a rich fabric that was beige with gold trim; so she tilted her head back slightly to find a face. Which she did. Find a face. Just like his hands he had a darker complexion than she did, with a narrow face with high cheekbones and nose. She would have mistook him for an elven man at a distance that was the bone structure he had. There was some scarring on his face by his right eye leading over his nose, and now that she looked closer he had similar scars on his hands and arms. His hair was slicked back into what she assumed was a low ponytail; it was black, no...a rich dark brown that had a few streaks of grey sweeping through it. It was his eyes that really drew her in. They were a deep amber that  borderline red, that were only accentuated by the eyeliner around his eyes. He was a little too close for comfort so she took a step back, her rear bumping the table. "Hey now, klutz, be careful," he grabbed her upper arms in case she fell; pulling her closer to him. She didn't reply right away and just stared at him. That voice was uncomfortably familiar.

  
  


"Do I have something on my face, my dear? Some stray make-up perhaps?" He lifted a long,

slender finger to his face to brush away the imaginary paint. He wore well-crafted brown leather bracers on his forearms wear a black glove of some kind protected his skin from being chaffed. The gloves only covered half of his fingers. Whoever this guy was, he must have lots of money to afford such items. The more words he spoke, the more frantic her heart began to beat, which only made her turn an even deeper shade of pink. Gods she was making a fool of herself! Actually, now that she wasn't looking at his physique, he did have a little make-up issue. Naturally she nodded, pointing under her left eye. "Eyeliner is a little smudged."

He made a small 'ah' quickly wiping under his eye. "Better?"

"Y-Yeah! Sorry I didn't mean to stare. That was rude of me. Uhm," quickly looking to see if her  friends noticed her being cornered by a tall, elegant man. To her surprise Rakan and  Xayah seemed to have gotten swept away in the crowd. "Uh, thank you again for catching the  lotus! I don't think I have enough money to pay for a broken figurine haha.."

"Yes, well, I am not sure why you thought it was a good idea to pick up glass when you clearly  have a nervous disposition. Accidents are fairly likely for you." He mused in that condescending  voice that she was starting to dislike. A smooth deep voice that held an air of 'I am better than you'. Gave her goosebumps. Another nervous laugh left her throat, rubbing the back of her neck Allura nodded like a scolded child. "Perhaps you are right, sir. Thank you again, but I am afraid I have to cut this short. I lost my companions and I need to f ind them." Before she was able to slip away and sabotage herself, a female voice piped up behind her.

"Your friends will be right back, little one." The man and her looked over to the cat Vastayan who was the vendor of the figurines. "They asked I keep you here."


	3. Festivals: part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura learns something about the Vastaya.

Confusion and panic must've danced clear on her face because the other woman was quick to calm her. "They asked if I knew where a few certain items were. A surprise for you, I believe?" She offered as if that cleared up her confusion. It did not. "Oh...Thank you. Here let me get out of his way..."

"I think that would be appropriate," the man more or less stepped over her foot when she didn't  get away fast enough. Instantly whatever spell he had over her was gone. In that mere instant, regardless if he was who he was, Allura wasn't going to be stepped over. So far he  had called her clumsy, had been overall condescending, manhandling her and was now pushing her out of the way with just his presence. Xayah would be mortified. "Actually," her voice holding an equally snobbish tone. "I was wondering if you have a smaller version of the flower?" The Vastayan woman tried to hide her smile, knowing what the other was doing. "Yes, I do actually. Ruk!" A younger male, probably her son, jumped up from his seat. His mother nodded her head. "Assist the gentleman for me."

  
  


Though his mother was more of a cat Vastaya, her son definitely had the aspects of a wolf. He  had the large ears and striking yellow eyes. She would have to ask Xayah if genetic traits were  the same for Vastayans as it were for humans later. Flashing her a grin full of sharp teeth his focus went over to the guy who was currently staring at her with a frown. The young woman was adamantly ignoring the stare which was probably burning a hole in her skull. The tension was palpable. "Sir? Was there something that caught your eye?"

  
  


It felt like an eternity before he answered, though his red gaze was still on the small woman who was looking at a glass frog now for just a second more. His frown deepened before turning his head away. "I am interested in the large glass lotus flower she is standing in front of." The volume of his voice rose, clearly directed at the girl who still refused to acknowledge him. The young Vastayan's left ear twitch in nervousness at the sudden anger on the man's face at being  ignored. "Miss....would you please move so I can show him the item?"

  
  


At that she finally looked up, glancing between them with the most innocent of eyes. "Hm? Oh,  so sorry, I was afraid to move since I clearly have a nervous disposition. Didn't want to break  anything." There was a sense of satisfaction at seeing one of his eyes twitch. "Seeing as you  asked so nicely though..." She took a few steps to the left.

  
  


For a moment the tall man looked as he was about to assault her in some way when the  woman came back with a few things in her hands. It only took a small moment for her to see  that something had happened in the five minutes she had been away. "Miss, if you would come  around. I would like to show you these in a quiet place...while we wait for your friends." It was a  command and not a suggestion by the tone of her voice. Perhaps Allura had overstepped her  boundaries? The man could possibly be a psycho after all, and here she was being an  outright bitch to him. Then again he had been a bastard in the first place.

  
  


"Sure!" Carefully she went behind the table to go into the tent set up. The moment the flaps of material closed behind her the tension washed away. Thwack! "OW! Hey, what the hell?" Rubbing her head the woman looked at the cat in shock. She was holding a rolled up scroll; scowling. "I did not realize those two had picked up a meddlesome child on their adventures. They gave me the impression you were easy, yet you go and cause trouble with my customers!"

"He started it!" Wow that came out so childish. She tried again. "I mean he pushed me out of the  way. You saw it! You even smiled! Ugh, why am I even defending myself to you, I don't even  know you."

"Because I am the only one keeping that man from possibly strangling you in a back alley when  you aren't looking." The look she gave her was serious. Oh. Guilt finally dropped her glare.

"....So you felt the malice too?" The other woman huffed, rolling her eyes. "Girl, any fool with  eyes could see that you had dug under his skin. People at this festival are all crazy. The artists,  the performers, the buyers especially....last year a fight broke out over a fellow's last portrait of  the night! Had I known you were skilled in tongue I would have dragged you back here immediately. Now sit." Indicating to the spare chair behind her. Allura sat immediately. After  watching the Vastayan fiddle with a few books she finally asked, "What's your name?"

She looked over her shoulder. "Vanya. Ah, here we are." Vanya grabbed what looked like a fancy  fold table, setting it up between them and placing several little jewelry boxes on it. "These are  some pieces I have been working on. Pick which one you like."

  
  


The softest of gasps left her lips as each box was opened to her. Inside were small pieces of  beautifully made glass jewelry ranging from necklaces, earrings and rings. Some were  flowers, others were of animals, but what really caught her attention was a necklace that had  the exact same lotus flower as the pendant. Obviously much smaller though. The main  difference was that the lily pad below was encased in gold. The chain itself was made of fine,  gold links that mimicked swirls. It was gorgeous. "Ah, I see you are still drawn to the lotus. I  figured as much, but still wanted to give you some options." Vanya hummed, closing the lid and  handing it to Allura. She blinked in confusion. "I can't afford this though." She was not prepared  for the stern gaze only a mother could give.

  
  


"You are with Rakan and Xayah, are you not?"

"Well, yes, but what does-"

"Then I can give this to you for free. I know that you are human, that you are new to Ionia." She  waited for her to interject, but she did not so she continued on. "News travels fast amongst us  Vastaya. It is how we keep an eye on the humans, who to avoid, who to offer food too. When we heard of human girl working with The Violet Raven we were suspicious. Then low and  behold tales of your healing and battles began to surface. People started to hear how the two of  them treat you. What they call you."

  
  


"You mean 'miel'? They said that it was a term Vastayans give to their students." Vanya barked  with laughter. "No, no; 'miel' means 'honey' which is what we usually refer to our children as."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. As we all know 2020 sucks right now. It is short but please enjoy.

She stared for a moment then began to laugh. "I, I am very sorry for laughing, but that is ridiculous! Why..Why would they call me something reserved for children? I know they are older than me, but that is insulting!" It wasn't making much sense to her. The laughter seemed to unsettle Vanya. Her dark ears twitched. When the laughter died down she took Allura's hands in her own; making sure she looked in her eyes before saying, "It must be because they sense a connection, one where they feel the need to surround you like family." The young woman scoffed lightly, turning her head away only for it to be turned back by the Vastayan. "It is true that I speak, child. I sense something inside you..something that disturbs me.."

"Yeah? Like what?" 

"A deep hurt that seems to scar your very soul," Vanya gently rubbed her thumbs over Allura's knuckles. Pain and sorrow decorated her face at those words. She knew what the other was referring to. Gently she pulled her hands away from the other; clutching them to her chest tightly. "....Thank you for telling me, and for the gift, but I am not ready to...to dive into a heart to heart with someone I barely know."

"Of course! I would never pressure you for that!" Vanya gasped, laughing lightly. "I just wanted to let you know why they may consider you family. Anyways," She stood once again to collect the pieces of jewelry. "Your friends should be back here in a minute. Shall we head out, and see if that crazy man is gone?" Allura wasn't going to question the change in topic. It was better than opening old wounds. There were some things that she would rather forget if not to just try and live the rest of her life peacefully. "Yes, of course, ah let me help you." Together they picked up the tent, the tiny box that held her treasure in hand and stepped back out. Fortunately the man was gone. Ruk looked to them with a relieved smile. "He just left, Mum. Bought the lotus and the frog."

The redhead tilted her head, frowning. "The one I was looking at?" When he nodded she rolled her eyes. "Petty asshole probably did it because I was thinking of buying it." Her cursing brought loud laughter from both Vastaya; Ruk especially as he nodded in agreement. "Oh yes! The look on his face when you didn't move out of his way! Aah, if I wasn't trying to be professional I would've split a seam." She giggled with him while Vanya shook her head at them both. "You young people and your spite..."

"Come now, Mum, he kinda deserved it. What with calling her a klutz.."

"Wait," Hazel-green eyes narrowed at the young man. His ears went back a bit. "You heard him insulting me, and you didn't speak up?" Her hand went to her one hip while she stared him down; smirking while he squirmed beneath both her own gaze and now his mother's. "Ruk!"   
"Well you always tell me to keep my nose to myself!" He protested; a whine leaving him. Both women looked to one another and then laughed; Allura pat his shoulder. "There, there; I'm a big girl. I handled it." His golden eyes shined as he smirked down at her. "Yeah.... I suppose you did.." 

"What'd you do?" They turned to see Xayah and Rakan approaching them; the latter holding a few bundles of things in his arms. Allura smiled big, resisting the urge to run and meet them halfway. “Some guy was rude; so I put him in his place.” She could feel Vanya roll her eyes, greeting the other adults with a nod. Xayah ruffled her hair, smirking. “Did you now? Good. We got you a few things, and also grabbed a hotel room to stay in. Turns out that there are several contests over the next few days. Think you will be able to keep your attitude down to a minimum?” 

“Attitude?!” She smirked back, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, I can. Oh, look what Vanya gave me!” Pulls the jewelry box out to reveal the necklace. Rakan’s eyes got all big whilst they both admired it. “A gift,” Vanya interjected before Xayah could open her mouth. “Now, be on your way, all of you. You are blocking the view of my stand.” Though she sounded serious there was some laughter in her eyes that made the three of them relax. Waving goodbye, Allura took a few things off of Rakan’s hands, looking them over curiously. “What are these?” 

“Things we needed. You’ll see when we get to the hotel.” Xayah always found a way to be cryptic about the simplest things. Accepting the answer, though, she walked and admired the different people once again. The woman was so enraptured by the colorful scenery that she almost missed the tingling of fear going down her neck. Turning around, she did not see anybody, but the feeling of someone watching was still there. Before she could investigate further Xayah and Rakan called out to her. The feeling vanished instantly. Perhaps the lack of food was finally getting to her?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura loses a few things

The tingling fear was soon forgotten as the trio found their way to a hotel. Along the way Allura observed her Vastayan companions in the crowd. Under normal circumstances the two of them, mainly Xayah, would be on high alert; itching to call on their magic for defense. This was not the case right now for they both were rather relaxed. Perhaps it was because this festival was to remember the lost, or perhaps it was because of the amount of Vastaya among the humans that settled their nerves. Either way the young human still kept close to them both while she observed everything. The hotel they came to was run by a another wolf-like Vastayan who was dressed rather lavishly. Her spoke to Xayah, shooting Allura a glance which she returned before Rakan put a hand on her shoulder. He leaned down to whisper, "Whatever you do, don't leave here without either of us. The festival may be for people to converse with the dead, but that does not mean they all have great intentions." That made her frown.

"I know not to talk to strangers, Rakan. I am not a child....." Still the weird glance the man had given her was unsettling. "Why tell me this now?" Before he could say anything more, Xayah beckoned them to follow her up the stairs. Soon as they were in the room Rakan began to put protective charms on the doors and windows. Now they were making her nervous. "Guys..?" The raven sighed, glaring at her lover. "I wish you had waited...." Golden eyes met green. "The Blossom Festival is not only a place for art and music, but also remembering the dead. The war caused many spirit blossoms to stop growing. Obviously there are people upset about not being able to commune with their past loved ones. This has caused a variety of issues; including more tensions to rise even more between human and Vastaya." Confused gathered on her brow even more so than before. "Why tell me this now?"

"Because the innkeeper is being a racist." Rakan huffed, finishing the last charm. More confusion hit her. "But....you both are racists yourselves?" That seemed to catch their attention. Xayah glared down at Allura with a frown. "Just because we are fighting for our home back does not make us racists. The humans-"

"Destroyed the magic, the land and many people's trust, I know......that still doesn't mean that every time you all encounter a human that you aren't a bit racist. Just because several humans back-stabbed your people, doesn't mean they all will. Look at me!" Xayah began to rub her temples. This wasn't the first time they had this conversation. Each time it ended up with Rakan trying to calm both women down. "You are different, Allura! Your first reaction to us wasn't fear or disgust! You are more like a Vastayan than a human."

"So because I have more magic than the average human that means I am more like you?"

"No! I just mean that you respect the land and its people. You respect us," she snapped back. "Look, I am not going to argue with you about this. I already made a deal with the innkeeper that you will be with us 24/7. It was the only way I could even get us these beds." Oh she could feel her blood boiling. So that was why he gave her such a look. Her chest heaved as she panted from getting worked up. She wanted to scream at both of them for acting the same as the people they were fighting against. Then a moment of clarity hit her. This is what they normally had to put up with if the roles were reversed. _This is what they would have to put up with if the roles were reversed._ She took a step back, let out a calming breath and said, "I'm sorry. I stepped out of line there. It just...caught me off-guard that you would be okay with his condition." Rakan and Xayah looked at one another, then at her and nodded slowly. "We get it. If there was another way, believe me, I would have chosen it." 

"We know that sometimes we act like the humans that hate us. Sometimes moments when you call us out makes us realize we need to pull ourselves together." Rakan added. They stood in an awkward silence for a moment more before Allura rubbed her eyes and sighed, "We are probably just tired and hungry. Not to mention there are so many people here....It is making my head dizzy." Xayah cracked a smile, walking up to her to pull her into an awkward hug which Rakan joined by hugging them both. "We know, miel. We know. Let's all just sit down." The nickname brought back what Vanya had said. Pulling away Allura waited till they sat on the beds. "You know, Vanya told me something interesting while you two disappeared." The Vastayan couple nodded as they began to separate the packages and unwrap them. "Yeah? What'd she say?"

"She told me what 'miel' means. Why didn't you both just tell me when I first asked?" She would give them credit; at least they had the shame to look embarrassed. "We...We thought you would think it was weird? Considering you are technically a full grown adult human. We did not want to, as to say, make you feel inferior?" 

Allura shrugged, laughing softly. "I think it is even more endearing. Thank you. Now what are these?" Happy to have something to take the awkwardness away once and for all, the two Vastayans began to show her the outfits they had gotten. They proudly showed that they were Vastayan made. Xayah handed Allura a beautifully dyed indigo piece of leather that when she held it out, she saw that it mimicked Xayah's own dress, though not as short. This one had slit up the sides with coverings both in the front and back. "For when we leave the festival. It should fit you just fine, and if not, then we can adjust it with these straps." A claw pointing out on the back where it was similar to a corset. "Then we also got you this to go with it," Rakan showed her a heavy cloak that was a rather bold blue with flashy silver embroidery. "And some new boots, of course!" Tears threatened to spill as she gave them a big, happy smile. "Awe, you guys!" 

"But wait!" Rakan held up a hand. "There is more!" He turned to reach beside him and held up a some kind of robe. It took her a moment to realize what it was. Her green eyes went wide with disbelief. "Is that.....?" She reached out for it which he gladly gave it to her. "Not Vastayan ideally, but if you are going to be performing in one of the contests then it would be better to appeal to the locals." She nodded along, mesmerized by the lavender silk she was holding. The embroidery on it was that of gold leaves and pink sakura blooms. She looked to see him holding a golden datejime and obi to go with it, along with the undergarments. "Why? These cost so much money."

"This is your first festival. It is always good to make it special," Xayah hummed while smoothing her hair back. "We had a few favors we called in; so the only things we had to pay for were the cloaks and your shoes. Oh and whatever food we decide to eat here." 

"Why the shoes?"

"Had to go to a human vendor."

"Ah, makes sense. Still.....I hate accepting gifts. I feel like I haven't earned them." She looked down at her feet. Xayah placed a hand on her back. "We know you feel that way, but.....but we cherish you, miel. You are the only human I would trust with my life. So let us spoil you just a little bit." When she looked back up at the older woman there were big tears in her eyes. The raven wasn't expecting the hug, evident by how her ears fluttered, but she returned it vigorously. Rakan's sniffling made them split apart to look at him with matching expressions. "We haven't bonded like this since we took out the Brotherhood at that last village." They both rolled their eyes before laughing. The next hour was her trying on their gifts, which it turned out they had also gotten her a pale blue kimono as well.

It was around dinner time when they set out again. They had all decided that baths and sleep were important. The festivities weren't going anywhere any time soon. Now clean and dressed in their new clothes they began to wander around. Many people were dressed in the festival's white and gold robes, others who were just passing thru were not. The lanterns were a sight to see. Their soft glowing light gave off an almost romantic feeling in the ever darkening sky. As they stopped again so she could see the calligraphy work she received another compliment on her appearance; especially the necklace she had put around her neck. Thanking with a respectful bow of her head the woman continued to look around. Though she could understand many tongues, reading Ionian was another story. She learned enough from Rakan when they settled to read the books they stole occasionally. This one particular character was eluding her though she felt like she should know it. So she waited patiently for the artist to finish talking to another customer to ask. Once again the feeling of being watched overshadowed her train of thought. Ever since they left the hotel she had felt as though they were being followed. However, since everyone looked the same with the cloaks, it was hard to tell if they were. Thinking it was her own nerves since Xayah had mentioned about people being wary of her, she had opted to ignore the eyes until now. Hot breath hit the back of her neck as she felt the presence of someone press close to her. "If you are wondering what that means, my dear, it means 'death'." That hauntingly familiar voice sent a shiver down her spine followed by the feeling of something touching her neck. Immediately Allura turned to try and see where the man from before was, but found that there was no one behind her. Refusing to let herself panic she carefully peered around. Still no sign of him. Perhaps the whole thing had been her imagination? "See something interesting, miel?"

"Hm? No, I thought I heard something is all..." She turned to look at Rakan with a small smile. His brow furrowed as his blue eyes landed on her neck. "Didn't you have that pretty lotus necklace on?" A gasp left her lips as she felt for it on her neck though it was not there. Instead of looking on the ground like a normal person, she looked around her frantically. It hadn't been her imagination! How did he take the necklace?! "Hey, hey! Relax. I am sure it probably wasn't clasped right, or something." She nodded, too shook to use her words. How was she going to relay that she _thought_ the guy she told off was possibly stalking her? That he _may_ have just taken it while they were standing right next to her? They wouldn't believe her. Hell, she didn't even know if she believed herself. "I just had it on. That man just complimented it." She nodded over to the vendor. "Well, let us ask him if he may help us look." Unfortunately the vendor wasn't much help. With a heavy heart Allura was forced to accept the fact that she either lost it or it had been stolen somehow. Sadness overcame her that even affected Xayah who suggested that they grab some food. "Yeah, maybe food will cheer me up a bit." She sighed. She just wanted this day to be over with. It had been too much of a roller-coaster. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am making a few changes to the first few chapters. Please check those out if you wish.


	6. Jitters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter. My grandfather passed away. Expect a longer chapter soon though. Also feel free to look at my other stories.

As they waited for Rakan to grab them food, Allura kept thinking about what happened. It all came about so fast. There was no way the clasp was faulty, and she would have felt it fall off her neck. That meant whoever had spoken to her had taken it. It meant that the touch she felt wasn’t a figment of her imagination. Lightly she felt the back of her neck, swearing inwardly that she could still feel the col of their touch. The only thing that was making her doubt herself was the voice. It was most definitely a man’s voice, but was it  _ his _ voice? The man from the booth? Theoretically if it was him then the malicious eyes that were on her earlier that day were also him. It also meant that he may be stalking her. That alone caused the woman to tense up, eyeing the crowd to see if anyone stood out. 

“Something wrong, Allura?” Xayah hummed softly to her. Allura turned to her friend not even hiding the worry in her eyes. Xayah reached out to shoulder hug her. “Thinking about your necklace?” 

“Yeah...I just….Remember how I said that I ticked off a guy at the glass stand?” The raven nodded. “Well….just a moment ago, when I lost the necklace, I swear I heard his voice behind me and a hand touch my neck.” This admittance caused Xayah’s brow to furrow in concern. “You think this human man is stalking you? Over a simple spat?”

“Y-Yeah..”

“Hm, I can’t say I am surprised. Humans, especially the males, always have easy egos that bruise. Sometimes if you hurt their pride enough they lash out.” Allura chuckled uneasily, playing with the braid her hair was in. “Yeah? Yeah, they are like that where I am from too.” Xayah watched her friend closely, offering a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, we won’t let anything happen to you. If this man is following us, then we will catch him and kill him. Okay? I promise.” That brought a real smile to the younger woman’s face which Xayah returned just in time for Rakan to come with their food. It was some kind of meat and vegetable kabob. “I will say this,” Rakan said through a mouthful of food already. “Humans do have decent cooking!”

His lover rolled her eyes as their companion managed a giggle. With them around she was safe. They wouldn’t let some creep try to harm her. Even as they ate, though, the sensation of eyes on her did not leave nor did her anxiety. In fact the more they traveled the more she felt like someone was going to hurt her. Eventually they made it to the theatrical portion of the festival where there were dancers, singers, puppeteers and actors. Rakan and Xayah had found a few Vastayan they knew, leaving her to sit and watch the play about how Kindred came to be. It was a story she already knew. Kindred was Death. They, Wolf and Lamb, were everywhere and nowhere. The amount of times she has almost perished has caused her to speak with the spirits on several occasions. It was interesting to see how the play perceived them, though.

As the actress began to melodically sing about the Pale Man, a touch to her back had her jumping up from her spot on the bench, whirling around to see who touched her. “Oh goodness! I am so sorry, young lady.” The kind voice of an elderly woman calmed her hammering heart. It was just a small elder trying to navigate the crowd. “I lost my footing,” she explained. “Please, enjoy the show some more.”   
  
“It’s alright. You do the same.” Allura gave a weak smile as she watched the older woman shuffle along. A few people gave her curious glances which caused her to flush and sit immediately. Secretly she wished Xayah would come over, say something about hating humans, and take her back to the inn. That wasn’t going to happen any time soon though. Both Vastayans were conversing with the others, laughing quietly. Envy riddled her. Even though the revolutionaries were not the friendliest, they still could talk with their own kind. She didn’t have that luxury. She was a foreigner in this land, many people assumed Noxian because of her looks, and it did nothing to help her nerves. The urge to vomit quickly overcame the young woman, and she jumped abruptly from her seat to run to the nearest alleyway. 

“Hey-OW!”

Just as she finished emptying her stomach, someone had touched her shoulder which she swatted away. Rakan stared down at her in concern, his feathery ear turned back in confusion at her hostility. “...Sorry, I...I am not feeling well.” His concern grew. Gently he brought her into an embrace which she sagged into. “C’mon, little bird. Let’s get you back to the room. All this excitement isn’t agreeing with you.” He began to lead her away from the crowd. “What-What about Xayah?”

“She is still talking to a few people. Suggested I take you to the inn and that she wouldn’t be far behind.” His large hand gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Don’t you worry about her, miel. Let’s just focus on you getting better for the shows tomorrow!” Allura openly groaned as she had forgotten about performing for the prize money. Rakan led her away with a small laugh.

-

“Well now….perhaps my time here will be filled with more than I already had planned…” Red eyes watched quietly from under the white and gold hood as the two left the seating area. It was the man from the stand. The woman who had insulted him beforehand had captured his interest. “Yes...I do believe a small performance will be worth filling up time before the grand finale. After all, everything has been set-up for quite some time here….” He muttered quietly to himself, eyes still on her even after she disappeared from his sight. The hooded man lifted his gloved hand up to eye-level, letting the glass lotus pendant dangle in the air. It was a replica of the one he purchased; its beauty glinting in the lantern light in a way that was mesmerizing. Something the brat he encountered couldn’t possibly understand. “I was going to just take you,” he murmured to the necklace. “Give her a scare. The reaction I got from her wasn’t what I had expected. No, it was much more... _ exciting. _ ”

The man inhaled sharply, pocketed the necklace, then began to walk casually to the inn he was staying at. He hummed low in his throat; a smooth melodic baritone that caught a few peoples attention. A brilliant screenplay was formulating in his mind. One that would entertain him while he waited for his main antagonists to show their hidden faces. That brat of a woman had no idea how lucky she was to be a part of one of his performances.


End file.
